It was during the 70's when many bad people became involved with land-based pirate radio stations. I wouldn't do such a thing ... OK, I knew people who might have been involved ...but it was all harmless fun in those days. It was when reception reports arrived from people who could hear 'test transmissions from Radio Sunshine' on the south coast that 'those people that I knew ' became aware ,,, and surprised at just how far a radio signal could travel.

THE DUTCH CONNECTION:

Following the success of Flashback 67 another offshore radio convention was organised in Holland in 1978, Zeezenders 20. I travelled there with my chum Bill who by now was leading me into the ways of serious offshore radio! This was to be my first of many vists to the Netherlands, it was also the first Dutch Radio Day, the event still happens every year. Little did I realise that more than 30 years later I would be taking part as a guest.

It was here that I met my good friends Hans and Louise, they were also friends of Caroline's transmitter engineer, Peter Chicago, and after I met him it was probably just a case of asking if I could go out to join Radio Caroline .... but the ship sank before that could happen!

RADIO BARRACUDA - AND THE HAVERING SHOW;

So all I had to do was record music programmes at home, send the tapes to Holland - and then somehow people in Belgium could hear them.

I just wanted to work on the radio ... and in the 70's this was the only way you could get to do it... if you wrote to the new commercial radio stations asking for a job you were expected to already have radio experience, and where would you get that from?

But if the radio audience wasn't ready for me there was always the mobile disco ... and public address announcing at various events around Essex - for another good friend of mine, Mick Williams ... who would also play a part in the story of Radio Ray!

Hook of Holland ferry on the way to 'Zeezenders' event with Bill Rollins, July 1978. He's the one to blame for me being on the radio.